Modulation of Movement Speed by Attention and Motivation

Cognitive-Motor Neuroscience Group

Lab Head: Professor Marjan Jahanshahi

We can speed up or slow down our movements through motivation (eg
walking faster when in a hurry) or attention (eg walking slower on ice and
paying attention to every step). Slowness and mobility problems are features of
Parkinson’s Disease. However, under
demanding circumstances, such as during a fire alarm, patients with Parkinson’s
disease can move faster, the so-called paradoxical kinesis. Also movement speed
in PD is increased by external cues such as lines on the floor. We are interested in investigating the
modulatory influence of motivation, attention and external cueing on movement
speed in healthy controls and in Parkinson’s disease, how these factors
interact, and the neural mechanisms by which they alter movement speed.